Do You Remember?
by MissSnarkling
Summary: He couldn't deny that seeing Two-Bit being an idiot had made him feel better. Not in a snide kind of way, just a happy, oh my gosh, you're incredible, this is why we're friend's kind of way.


"Soda?"

"Oh dear God, what now?" Sodapop whispered as he set down the letter he was reading. It had just come in the mail from Pony's school, concerning the usually perfect student skipping some classes. The auburn haired teenager had been becoming increasingly more and more distant, refusing to talk, and not eating very much. It was all concerning, and now this? It was all giving Soda a headache, and he was trying to keep it away from Darry so as not to alarm the already stressed the brink of insanity Greaser. Soda looked up from the printed paper and turned to face his friend Two-Bit sitting across from at the kitchen table. The man was trying to balance spoons on his face. Soda didn't say anything for a moment, just watched in mild amusement, deciding it was better not ask any questions, because really, was there even a reasonable answer for that behavior?

However, after a moment, Two-Bit squealed in apparent defeat as the spoons clattered down around him on the floor and table. Soda raised a hand in a manner as if to do something, smack him, pat his shoulder reassuringly, he wasn't sure what. He put it back down though and shook his head though. Two-Bit realized he was being watched and smiled and Soda as he reached down to pick up the spoons.

"You wanted something?" Soda asked. He watched as the red haired male walked backwards to the silverware drawer and threw the spoons in haphazardly. He had on a thoughtful face, having clearly forgotten what it was that was on his mind a mere moment ago.

"I forgot. I'll ask if I remember." Two-Bit said, smiling crookedly and walking over to the refrigerator to dig out something edible. Seeing nothing _except _chocolate cake, he decided upon that and brought it over the table, sitting down again, only just realizing, that maybe that was why he had gotten the spoons out in the first place. But then, he rarely used silverware to eat unless it was absolutely necessary, like with soup.

* * *

"Hey Sodapop?" Two-Bit called from the bathroom. Or at least, that's where Soda assumed his friend was calling from. A week had passed since the incident with the spoons, and Soda had nearly forgotten about it, caught up with helping Darry with Christmas. Normally the holiday was something the family, really the whole gang was really into, but not this year it seemed. Missing two of its former members, and with the youngest going through _something _and just not telling anyone, it just wasn't going well.

Darry had taken on an extra project to afford some stupid gift he'd wanted to buy for one of the guys, but he wouldn't say who. Soda just hoped it wasn't for him, because he'd feel guilty. He didn't feel like he did enough around the house lately. All he did was cover for Ponyboy's ass while the kid was running around and _'Calm down you sound like your brother.' _

After successfully knocking over the Christmas tree twice but finally getting it to stand, he just hoped no one noticed how awfully one sided the lights and ornaments were. He took a deep breath and sighed before finally going to go see what Two-Bit wanted.

"Oh God." Soda said before chuckling lightly in spite of himself, covering his mouth with his hands. Two-Bit didn't look at Soda, but instead opted to look at him indirectly through the mirror.

"What, you don't- isn't it good?" Two-Bit asked, face mostly serious as he had pulled his hair into hair bands, as much as he could. It looked pretty ridiculous, especially coupled with the handlebar mustache he had drawn on.

"Is that it?" Soda asked, smiling widely now, folding his arms and leaning his small frame against the doorway. He couldn't deny that seeing Two-Bit being an idiot or rather just himself had made him feel better. (Not in a snide kind of way, just a happy, oh my God, you're incredible, this is why we're friend's kind of way.)

Two-Bit looked at the ground before looking back up and nodding. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, I had remembered that thing from last week. You know the thing I was going to ask you? But I forgot. So that's all."

Soda nodded, biting his lip as he watched Two-Bit go about cleaning his face. Soda wasn't sure why it suddenly irked him to know what it was. Maybe it was because it wasn't just a thing that happened one day. He had remembered, and instead of brushing it off, he deemed it important enough to bring it back up again. So therefore, it was important. So the fact that Two-Bit and his shit memory were making it hard to know what it that he needed to know or ask, it was driving Soda up a wall. He needed to know. Something that didn't even matter last week was suddenly so very important, but then, Soda guessed that was how most things in life were. Unimportant or insignificant for the longest time, and then bam! Your reason for living.

_'Let's not get ahead of ourselves.' _

And Soda tried not to, because again, this was Two-Bit. What was important to him, well, was not exactly a top priority to other people.

* * *

And then Christmas arrived. By this time, Two-Bit had 'remembered' and then 'forgotten' at least fifteen more times. Soda couldn't even be in the same room as the man without either wanting to hug him for making him not want to kill himself, or Soda would want to kill _him. _

"Soda I will beat you with this rolling pin, I swear to God." Darry said, as he came out of the kitchen in his totally manly pink apron. (Totally manly is the operative word there.)

"Darry, it isn't fair that we can't open presents yet!" Soda whined. Yes, he was whining, he didn't care, he was allowed to. It was nearly _eleven _and the presents sat untouched. That was sinful, wasn't it?

"We're waiting for Two-Bit and Steve to finish with their families, and then we're visiting the graveyard, we've discussed this. Don't be such a child, Soda." Darry tutted, walking back into the kitchen. Ponyboy rolled his eyes from his spot on the couch and went back to the book he was reading. Soda almost glared at his baby brother, but repressed the urge. The merriest of holidays, and his brother was in this eternal depression that he just refused to talk about.

"Presents opened yet?" Steve asked as he came through the door. Soda shook his head sadly. "Sinful."

"I know, right?" Soda groaned, standing up off of the floor. "You know if Two-Bit is on his way or not?" Steve shrugged.

As luck would have it for Soda, Two-Bit didn't end up making his way over to the Curtis residence until two thirty-six. Soda was in a rage, but was completely ready to let bygones be bygones and open some damn presents, until Darry said: "Oh no, we're not opening anything until we get back from seeing Mom and Dad."

"Are you kidding me?!" Soda nearly screeched. Steve patted his friend on the back and told him that it would be okay, only a little longer. Soda withheld the urge to murder him. It wasn't easy. He just pictured happy things.

* * *

"Soda, Sodapop, c'mere!" Two-Bit called from a tree he was sitting in.

"That is so fucking disrespectful, Keith. Get your ass down." Soda hissed. Soda wasn't sure why he felt like climbing the Cherry Blossoms in grave yards would be disrespectful. Probably because they were nourished by the dead bodies. So it somehow made some weird sense with him. He had strange logic.

Two-Bit jumped down and tried to keep warm, doing an odd little dance in place.

"What?" Soda asked. Two-Bit made a confused face. Then Soda realized what just happened and swore loudly, causing a few mourning people nearby to look over in disturbed silence.

"Dammit! You remembered again, didn't you? And I made your forget?" Soda asked. Two-Bit's facial expression didn't change for a moment before going blank with realization and he nodded. "Ugh!"

"I'm… sorry?" Two-Bit apologized, unsure what was going on.

"No, no it's fine, it's just been bugging me a lot is all. And I don't know, why, so don't ask. I'm going to wait in the car for Darry to finish." Soda said, sighing. He started to walk away, when Two-Bit made a strange noise that Soda questioned was actually human.

"Wait, Soda, I remember now!"

Soda would be embarrassed to admit he tackled Two-Bit to the ground and grabbed fistfuls of his shirt and begged to know what the actual fuck it was that was so damn important.

"Well, uh, it's a bit silly. Actually, it was never meant to be taken seriously. I wanted to ask you if you thought I was pretty."

Soda sat straight up in Two-Bit's lap. He kept opening and closing his mouth repetitively for a few minutes, like a fish, not sure what to say. Then he just closed his eyes and sighed really hard, like he couldn't even be bothered to think anymore. "Yes. Yes, Two-Bit, you are pretty."

Two-Bit giggled and waved his hand coyly in Soda's face. "Awe, shucks. Stop it."

"I hate you so much right now."

**Author's Note: Happy Holidays, my lovelies. This was a short, somewhat slash-if-you-squint, one-shot I wrote to apologize for being a horrible person. I never update anymore. I don't really have an excuse, either. Oh, I could say that depression is valid, but it isn't, at least not in my case. I'm a failure as a human being. I know no one wants to hear about all that, so I won't go into it. Just, an apology fic. Have you forgotten about me yet? Most likely. I love you all. Review please. No editing, no planning before hand. Written on the spot in about an hour. Hope you enjoyed. **


End file.
